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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565804">Mechanical Hearts Break Too</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingFox/pseuds/TheWritingFox'>TheWritingFox</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Sparky Chronicles [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steam Powered Giraffe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Lack of Communication</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 20:02:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27565804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWritingFox/pseuds/TheWritingFox</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Since the theatre incident Sparky had off and on been experiencing sharp, stinging shocks in her sides and chest that would accompany strange power surges. She knew telling Spine would make him feel even more guilty about it, but sometimes sparing someone else's feelings hurts that person anyway.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Spine/Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Sparky Chronicles [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Mechanical Hearts Break Too</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a direct continuation of  "A Jolt From The Past"</p><p>All aboard the angst train, woo wooo</p><p>(There's fluff coming after this one I swear, lol)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> Sparky was walking hand in hand with The Spine through the Manor's garden, admiring the blooming flowers together. She tried to ignore the light shocks in her side and focus on spending time with Spine. Ignoring it worked, until the shocking became more intense and shot from her side down her leg, making the smaller robot stumble and wince in pain.</p><p> "Whoa, are you okay darlin'?" Spine asks as he helps her straighten back up.</p><p> "I'm good!" Sparky replies quickly with a smile she hoped was convincing.</p><p> "Are you sure? That looked painful." The Spine tilts his head, looking at her in concern. Something was off. He was sure of it. </p><p> "Really, I'm good", she assures him. </p><p>It would break Spine's heart if she told him she was in pain, especially since the last time she had maintenence it was due to damage he had caused by accident back at the theatre.</p><p> "If there's ever something bothering you I'm here, okay?" The Spine wasn't convinced, but he let it ride for now. If something was wrong Sparky would certainly tell him, right? </p><p> "Alright Spine." Sparky hated lying to him. It hurt just as bad as the power surges.</p><p>
  <strong>⊙⊙⊙⊙</strong>
</p><p>The longer the malfunctions were left unattended to, the more painful they became. Sparky leans against wall of the hallway, gray coolant tears rolling down her cheeks as she rides out a particularly painful bout of shocks.</p><p>"Sparky?" The Spine had turned down the hallway only to see the little robot crying against the wall. His optics were glowing in concern as he approached her. "Darlin', what's the matter?"  </p><p>Before she could warn him not to, he strides up and gently takes her hand. The next malfunction shock that courses through her, shorts out The Spine due to his contact. The short forces a system reboot to engage and with a hiss of hydraulics, he freezes in a neutral standing position.</p><p> "Spine! Nonono, please be ok!" Sparky puts her ear on his chassis, listening for the sounds of his boiler and inner mechanisms. To her relief she hears everything working as it should.</p><p> <em>"What have I done?..." </em></p><p>Sparky looks down at her hands and then back up at The Spine's face. She couldn't risk hurting him or anyone else right now. The little robot takes off, running deeper into the Manor.</p><p> The Spine reboots a few moments later, blinking in confusion as he runs through a system check and error report. His last memory was of Sparky crying and going through some sort of system short out.</p><p> "Sparky?" He calls out, becoming more worried when there's no response.</p><p>If she shorts out and no one finds her...He didn't want to consider what could happen then. The Manor was too big to search on his own. He sends a message to his siblings and to the Walter Workers and Matter Master David's phone, telling them to keep an eye out for Sparky. The Spine knew there was a quicker way to find the little robot in the meantime.</p><p> "BEEBOP locate Sparky, authorization code The Spine 1896!", he states to the Manor's AI.</p><p><strong> "Walter Robotic's AI, BEEBOP online. Authorization code accepted...Searching Walter Manor...Automaton Sparky is located in music room 2"</strong>, the AI responds.</p><p> "Thank you BEEBOP!" The Spine replies as he runs down the corridor towards the music room.</p><p> As BEEBOP had said, Sparky was in music room 2, standing by the window. The little robot wrapped her arms around herself, sparking painfully on occasion as she peers out. This wasn't good, she never wanted to hurt Spine, she should've just bit the bullet and gone in for maintenence. She had never felt this kind of pain before...</p><p> "There you are Sparky!" The Spine skids to a stop when he enters the room.</p><p>At the shout of her name she turns around. "Spine! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to short you out, it must've hurt..." the tall silver bot's stern expression makes her pause. "Spine?"</p><p> "Never mind if it hurt me. If you're malfunctioning this badly why didn't you go in for maintenence?", he asks in a hard tone as he walks up and stops in front of her. Worry shone in his green optics as steam vented slightly from his neck.</p><p> Sparky flinched a little at his tone, it really drove home the point that she messed up. The last thing she wanted was someone she cared for angry at her. "Spine, I--"</p><p> "Do you not realize how worried you've made me?" Spine cuts her off. "Why didn't you tell me at the very least? Give me one damn good reason why you'd put yourself through all this pain." His tone had softened at those last words as he shook his head.</p><p>He vents steam as he sighs quietly, immediately regretting how harsh he'd been when he noticed the copper bot flinch slightly at his words. Snapping at her wasn't his intention, but didn't she realize how serious this all was? Guilt swam in his core when he saw her optics tear up with gray coolant.</p><p> "I-I was scared! If I told you, I know you'd blame yourself", she blurts out, voice distorting as coolant tears pricked at her optics. "Not only that but since the theatre, being powered down for the check ups scare me so much. What if I don't power back up? I'd never see anyone again....I'd never see you again Spine." </p><p>Another shock goes through Sparky as she looks up at him, her vision blurs around the edges and her knees buckle as her motor functions fail and she teeters forward.</p><p> "Sparky?!" The Spine's green optics widen in alarm and he catches the little bot in his arms,</p><p> "I'm s-sorry", she mumbles as her opticss flutter shut and she goes limp his arms. Feeling the soft thrumming of her system's electric current was a small relief to the tall silver bot as he carefully picked her up in a bridal carry.</p><p> Spine vents steam as he then bolts out of the music room with the smaller robot held close to his chest. He sends an emergency message to everyone on the network, informing them of the issue and to meet him in the lab nearest to music room 2.</p><p> "Sparky, c'mon look at me", he coaxed and shakes her gently as he runs down the corridors. </p><p>Her blue optics slowly blink open to meet his emerald gaze and she winces in pain as another malfunction courses through her, thankfully not shocking him this time. </p><p> "Easy, we're almost to the lab" he tells her as she sniffles and  fearfully grips onto his shirt with a shaky hand. </p><p> "Spine, I'm scared" she whispers distortedly.</p><p> "It's gonna be ok. I'll be with you the whole time, I promise." Spine calmly assures as her eyes drift shut again. With his core clenched in panic, he pushes himself to run faster, boiler working overtime.</p><p>They reach the lab a few moments later. The Walter Workers begin a system diagnostic on the little bot. According to their charts, Sparky had been avoiding her check ups for quite awhile, and hadn't told anyone when her malfunctions started. They surmised she started having problems shortly after the sound check incident. All the bots stayed out of the way during Sparky's emergency repairs except Spine. True to his word he stayed with her, holding her hand.</p><p>
  <strong>⊙⊙⊙⊙</strong>
</p><p>Sparky powers back online a few hours later, blinking in confusion at her surroundings. The Spine comes into focus in front of her, sitting in a chair. Guilt washes over her when she sees his expression.</p><p> He looked tired, if that was possible for a robot. Spine's fedora was off, his black hair disheveled like he had ran his hands through it. His gaze was focused away from Sparky, worry etched into his features. As she laid on her side on a lab table, Sparky could register some wires connected to her via the access panel on her lower back. </p><p> "I'm so sorry Spine", she says groggily as she tries to sit up.</p><p>The Spine looked over, a relieved expression on his face when he sees her awake. He was still holding her hand, absently rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. He quietly helps her sit upright on the lab table then holds her close, touching their foreheads together. He sighs in relief, emerald optics glowing softly as he looks at her. </p><p> "Sparky, promise me something. Never ignore your malfunctions again, alright? No matter what. Everyone was worried, and I-I don't want to lose you." he tells her softly.</p><p> "I promise, Spine...I never wanted this." Sparky tells him remorsefully. "I should've told you...I didn't want you blaming yourself again or worrying...I hurt you, I'm so sorry."</p><p> The copper bot looks down, gray tears brimming her eyes, ashamed of her behavior. It was a foolish thing to do, she could have damaged herself or possibly others. The very thing she wanted to avoid had happened anyway. She hoped everyone would forgive her.</p><p> While Sparky was powered down The Spine had time to reflect on what she had told him in the music room. He could understand her reasons, but it still hurt that she didn't come to him. It was obvious the little bot felt terrible about what happened, as did Spine. Even though she didn't blame him, he still felt guilty about what happened at the theatre. It had subsequently led to her not wanting to tell him about her own malfunctions, to spare his feelings. He sighs quietly, his poor darlin'.</p><p> "Hey now, there's been enough tears," he says gently as he tilts her chin up to look at him. "I'm sorry, this is my fault too. I didn't mean to snap at you earlier. I understand why you didn't tell me, but let's make a deal. Let's both be more open with each other in the future and whenever you need a maintenence check up,  I'll come with you if you'd like" he offers with a small smile.</p><p> Sparky nods. "Deal. But, Spine I don't want to be a bother to anyone, seems I've failed at that already", she sniffles.</p><p> "No, no Sparky. You're not a bother." Spine murmurs and pulls her into a hug, chin resting on top her head. "And it wouldn't be any trouble. If you need me, I'll be there. Like you were for me", he adds.</p><p> "Thank you Spine." Sparky says gently as she hugs him back then asks, "Do you think the others are mad at me?"</p><p> "I wouldn't think so. Worried I'm sure, but they'll understand if you explain", he replies, patting her back. He looks up when Walter Worker Chelsea approached the table to check on Sparky and detach the wires from her back.</p><p> "Hey guys," Chelsea greets softly, "I don't mean to interrupt, but looks like Sparky is good to get up", she smiles at Sparky, "whenever you're ready".</p><p> Up to that point, the Walter Workers and the other bots had been keeping a respectful distance, they could see that Spine and Sparky needed a moment alone. Convincing Zer0 and Rabbit to hang back took little more explaining, but they understood in the end.</p><p> "Thanks Chelsea." Sparky answers quietly. </p><p>Sparky could see the others still hanging back. She knew she owed them an explanation and apology. With a nod to The Spine, the copper bot carefully gets off the table and approaches the group loitering at the other end of the large lab.</p><p>The little bot began to explain the reasons she avoided the check ups. To her surprise when she had finished, her human and robot friends embraced her in a warm group hug, expressing how worried they were about Sparky and how relieved they are to know she was now okay. They weren't angry with her, Sparky was glad to know. This is what family does, they understand.</p>
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